Dr Peter Fields

Dr Peter Fields

Membership Status: Barrister - Full Member Called in 2014 Public Access Accredited BSB Guidance for Public Access
Bar Standards Board - Regulating Barristers
Barristers in England and Wales are regulated by the Bar Standards Board

Profile

General Information

Peter is a civil practitioner specialising in dealing with commercial disputes faced by small and medium-sized companies, their directors, shareholders and employees. He also has a growing family law practice. He is happy to accept instructions as counsel from solicitors or through public/direct access.

Prior to joining the bar, Peter started his career with a PhD in chemical engineering and spent 15 years in the chemical industry in a variety of roles in research, production, sales and business management. He then led a management buyout and implemented a buy-and-build strategy to create a leading European speciality chemical producer.

Peter continued investing and building a diverse range of successful companies working as a chairman, entrepreneur, investor and non-executive director in the chemicals, logistics, food, consumer and legal sectors. Whilst working in business, he gained practical experience of a range of legal activities in a variety of areas, including employment, dispute resolution, commercial litigation, company law, M&A, banking, and regulatory. 

His unusual combination of technical and legal training, coupled with business experience and psychology, enables Peter to develop a deeper understanding of clients’ needs and the legal and practical solutions that can be offered to resolve legal issues successfully.

Areas of law

  • Business & Commercial Law
  • Family Law
  • Employment Law
  • Consumer Contracts
  • Clinical Negligence
  • Land & Property – Easements
  • Trusts (resulting and constructive)
  • Credit Hire (claimant or defendant)
  • Road Traffic Accidents
  • Credit Hire

Business & Commercial Law

With extensive commercial experience, Peter has a distinctive ability to understand and analyse company accounts and financial information, as well as complex business structures. He makes a valuable contribution to disputes involving consideration of financial information and cross-examination of experts, valuation of companies and any financial wrongdoing. Peter's skills and experience are particularly valuable in matters including: 

  • Shareholder and director disputes
  • Mergers and acquisitions
  • Breach of fiduciary duties
  • Company law
  • Breaches of contract
  • Wrongful trading
  • Insolvency
  • Civil and criminal fraud
  • Banking and finance matters
  • Investment disputes
  • Complex technical/engineering disputes

Family Law

Peter’s financial experience provides a distinct advantage when resolving family disputes where the valuation of business assets and investments is a key issue. He also has significant experience in business and family negotiations. Coupled with his experience of mediation, he is well placed to be involved in all forms of Alternative Dispute Resolution.

  • Private family law
  • Divorce settlements
  • Financial dispute resolution
  • Domestic violence/non-molestation

Employment Law

Utilising his practical experience of how companies work, Peter acts for both employers and employees in a range of employment disputes, including: 

  • Unfair dismissal
  • Discrimination
  • Equality
  • TUPE
  • Non-compete covenants

Other Areas of Law

Peter’s pupillage in a common law set provides him with the experience necessary to act in hearings including clinical negligence, credit hire (claimant or defendant) and road traffic accidents/personal injury.

Current Business Positions

  • Kinaxia Limited – logistics, haulage and warehousing – co-founder/director
  • Panicium Limited – artisan/speciality foods – co-founder/director
  • Azure Legal Limited – legal services – co-founder/director

Previous Business Positions

  • Aqdot Limited – chemical encapsulation technology – non-executive chairman
  • IWI Watches Limited – handmade watches – investor
  • Azelis SA – chemical distribution – Chief Operating Officer
  • Sunpenny Limited – publishing – non-executive chairman

Memberships

  • Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (ACIArb)
  • British Psychological Society (MBPsS)
  • Institute of Directors
  • Lincoln’s Inn (Called in 2014)

Education

  • Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC) - Very Competent
  • Legal Practice Course (LPC) - Commendation
  • Master of Laws (LLM) – Distinction
  • Bachelor of Laws (LLB) – First
  • BSc (Hons) Psychology - First
  • PhD (Chemical Engineering)
  • BSc (Chemical Engineering) – 2.1

Personal Interests

Peter enjoys scuba diving and taking photographs of sharks and wrecks, as well as skiing and bungee jumping. These hobbies share some of the characteristics of being at the bar in that they all require careful planning, attention to detail, and compliance with procedures and regulations… as well as providing bursts of adrenalin.

Areas of Law

Dr Peter Fields is happy to accept instructions as counsel who is:

  • Business & Commercial Law
  • Family Law
  • Commercial Arbitration & ADR inc Adjudication
  • Consumer Rights Act
  • Employment
  • Personal Injury
  • Public Access Accredited
  • Land & Property
  • Business & Commercial Law
  • Family Law
  • Criminal Law
  • Consumer Rights Act
  • Clinical Negligence
  • Professional Negligence
  • Wills & Probate
  • Inheritance Act Claims
  • International Law
  • Personal Injury
  • Land & Property
  • Business & Commercial Law
  • Consumer Rights Act

Outside of these key areas of law, Dr Peter Fields is always willing to consider any enquiry requiring the experience or knowledge needed to help you or your client. Please call Peter direct or the support team on 01823 247 247 if you would like to discuss any aspect of this profile.

Fees and Feedback

FEES:

Details regarding our approach to fees can be found at the following link:  http://www.clerksroom.com/content-html?cid=514

SERVICES:

Please see “profile” tab for a description of the legal services provided by this barrister.

We aim to complete and return all paperwork within 14 days (2 weeks) of receipt if no specific deadline is provided. We can work to much faster timescales if requested or we can agree a specific target date for each individual circumstance. We will always advise at the outset if counsel is unable to meet any deadline.

Each barrister has a standard hourly rate for their work. The individual hourly rate can be agreed when instructions are acknowledged if preferred. We welcome early discussion as to the suitability of a specific barrister for a specific case. The right barrister will have the relevant expertise to deal with the case but will not be too junior, or too senior depending on the complexities.

We aim to allocate all cases to the correct level of experience & seniority which we believe will prove most to be the most cost-effective solution for our clients.

If, due to urgency, we allocate paperwork to a more senior member of Clerksroom, we will charge the appropriate hourly rate for the work, not for the barrister. We welcome early discussion to ensure the correct fee is applied to the case at the outset.

REDRESS:

All our barristers are regulated by the Bar Standards Board (BSB) and hold a current practising certificate, details can be found at the following link Barristers’ Register

Complaints information

If you are not satisfied with the service provided, you can make a complaint to Chambers. Information on the chambers’ complaints procedure is available at the following link: http://www.clerksroom.com/content-html?cid=416

If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from my chambers, you can make a complaint to the Legal Ombudsman. You must contact the Legal Ombudsman either within 6 months following the conclusion of our handling your complaint, within 6 years from the date of the act/omission, or 3 years from the date that you should reasonably have known there were grounds for complaint (if the act/omission took place before the 6 October 2010 or was more than six years ago).

The Legal Ombudsman’s details are as follows:

Legal Ombudsman
PO Box 6806
Wolverhampton
WV1 9WJ
Tel: 0300 555 0333
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.legalombudsman.org.uk

Privacy Notice

ICO Reference A8690707

1.              This is a privacy notice that describes how, why and for how long I will process or keep your personal data in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (‘GDPR’).

2.              The GDPR governs how an individual’s personal data is used, and your rights in relation to that data.

3.              I, Dr Peter Fields, have been instructed by you or your litigation friend (usually a parent), through your solicitor or agent, or via the Bar Pro Bono Unit.

4.              It is necessary for me to process your personal data in order for me to provide you with legal services, for example:

·   Advise on the prospects of litigation;

·   Advise on the value of your claim;

·   Representation at a court hearing;

·   Representation at trial;

·   Advise, review or comment on legal issues or evidence.

5.              Processing means anything done to data such as: recording, organising, adapting, altering, copying, consulting, transmitting, combining, erasing or storing it.

6.              The processing for the purposes listed above will take place in accordance with either Article 6(1)(a) GDPR or Article 6(1)(b) GDPR, depending on how you instructed me.

7.              If you have instructed me on a direct access basis, or engaged a solicitor (or legal agent), to assist you in bringing or defending a claim then the processing is necessary to perform a contract to which you are a party (Article 6(1)(b) GDPR). To give effect to that contract (i.e. to bring a claim) it is necessary for me to process your personal data for litigation purposes.

8.              If I am assisting you on a pro bono basis, it will be necessary for me to seek your consent to be able to represent you (Article 6(1)(a) GDPR). In this scenario, you will be sent a consent form.

Recipients of your data

9.              I may also be required to share your data with others, depending on the nature of your case. This may include:

(i)                  Courts and other tribunals to whom documents are presented;

(ii)                Your solicitors, or agent representing you, through whom I have been instructed;

(iii)               Potential witnesses, experts and other persons involved in the case;

(iv)               Solicitors, barristers, or other legal representatives;

(v)                Ombudsman and regulatory authorities;

(vi)               Education and examining bodies; and

(vii)             Current, past or prospective employers.

Special Categories of Data

10.          In some cases I will have been given your personal data that is within the ‘special categories’ of data described in GDPR Article 9(1). For example, personal data that reveals your race, ethnicity, sexual preferences, political or religious beliefs, trade union membership or health. There are also restrictions for processing information regarding criminal convictions.

11.          This type of personal data will only be processed where it is necessary in order to represent you in your legal claim, or advise on the prospects of a legal claim.

Retention

12.          I will retain your personal data for no longer than is necessary, and where it is possible, I will anonymise your data.

13.          How long your personal data is kept will depend on a number of factors. The retention period will be reviewed when the service I am providing you with is complete. However in general, I am obliged by the Bar Code of Conduct to retain records of my cases, and by HM Revenue and Customs to retain records for 6 years.

14.          Once your case has concluded and fees have been paid, I shall retain only the personal data necessary for the following purposes:

(i)                  The legal and professional obligation to retain information relating to my cases;

(ii)                To check for any potential conflict of interests that may arise in the future when I am instructed on other cases;

(iii)               For use in the defence of potential complaints, legal proceedings or fee disputes;

(iv)               To refer back to in future cases which raise similar legal, factual, or procedural issues.

15.          The processing for the purposes listed in paragraph 14 (ii), (iii), and (iv) above, will take place in accordance with Article 6(1)(f) GDPR. That is, for the purposes of legitimate interests that are not outweighed by your interests or fundamental rights and freedoms.

16.          The processing for the purposes listed in paragraph 14(i) above, will take place in accordance with Article 6(1)(c) GDPR. That is, the processing is necessary for me to comply with a legal obligation. 

Your Rights

17.          Where processing of your personal data was based on your consent (see paragraphs 6 and 8) you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time. This does not affect the lawfulness of the processing based on consent before its withdrawal.

18.          Withdrawal of your consent to process such data will most likely mean that I am no longer able to provide you with the legal services you seek.

19.          You may request confirmation that your personal data is being processed by me and details about the personal data, the source, the processing, the purposes of the processing, the recipients and the retention period.

20.          You may request a copy of your personal data that is being processed by me. You may also request rectification (i.e. correction) where there are inaccuracies in the personal data.

21.          You have the right to object, on grounds relating to your particular situation, at any time, to processing of your personal data in paragraph 14 of this privacy notice. Should you object, the processing will only continue where there are compelling legitimate grounds for the processing which override your fundamental rights, freedoms and interests. 

22.          Where the processing or retention of your data is necessary for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims, it will not be possible to object. 

23.          You have the right to request that your personal data is erased where any of the following apply:

(i)                  The personal data are no longer necessary in relation to the purposes for which they were collected or otherwise processed;

(ii)                You withdraw your consent where the basis of processing was based on consent and where there is no other ground for the processing;

(iii)               Where your fundamental rights, freedoms and interests override the legitimate interests of processing in paragraph 14;

(iv)               The personal data has been unlawfully processed; or

(v)                The personal data have to be erased to comply with a legal obligation.

24.          You have the right to request that your personal data is restricted from processing, so that it is simply stored, for the following reasons: as an alternative to deletion; so that it can be corrected; for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims; to verify if a legitimate ground exists (paragraph 14).

25.          Where it is necessary to correct your personal data, or you have requested the restriction or erasure of your personal data, I shall endeavour to contact the recipients of the personal data, unless this involves disproportionate effort. 

Security

26.          I take appropriate physical and technical procedures to safeguard your personal data to prevent it from being accidentally lost, used or accessed in an unauthorised way. The I.T. systems used by Clerksroom are ISO27001 compliant.

Complaints or Queries

27.          If you have any questions regarding this privacy notice, or how I use your personal data please email me: , or my clerks: mail@clerksroom telephone 01823 247 247.

28.          I shall aim to respond as soon as possible, and within 30 days.

29.          You have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) if you believe I have not handled your request in an appropriate manner. For information on contacting the ICO please go to: https://ico.org.uk/global/contact-us/

Testimonials

Testimonials

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